ARE YOU #1? FOR NOW ANYWAY...

Last month I renewed my subscription to Maximum Impact after a hiatus. This month's CD titled, First Place is Not an Easy Place to Stay was a really helpful listen. Here are a few highlights that I thought were empowering:

Three things to stay #1:

Passion:
Gallup poll said, "The number one factor of credibility in any organization is the passion of the leader."
Pastors and church leaders, take note, passion is the lifeblood of the vision, the quality, the volunteers, the giving, and the direction. I have learned to check the passion gauge frequently in my life. Without passion I am too serious, negative, quick to frustration, nervy about big decisions, but when I have great passion, I am prayerful, diligent, hopeful, fired up and capable of finishing strong.

Practices:
Collin Sewell said, "My analogy is if you take a race--the runner in first place gauges his effort upon his lead. In other words he only puts out the effort to keep in his position--why--because he is always looking back. The runner in second place is always looking forward, improving. He has a moving target and his effort is based upon gaining ground not maintaining ground.
I have experienced this in many forms of racing. One time while practicing with some motocross guys who were far better than I, I was challenged to push the edge all the more in order to keep pace with them. After that day of practice my lap times plunged. When racing the 70 car I get behind guys who are faster than me; consequently, I can study their line and work to stay with them. When in second there is an unspoken drive to keep pushing and pursuing the top spot; conversely, when in 1st there is a tendency to look back and protect the lead--the exact reason Roger will not allow me to have mirrors in my race car. When looking in the rear view mirror the focus is on where I've been not where I'm headed--a recipe for disaster on the track and leading organizations.

People:
"Few people are successful unless a lot of other people want them to be."
This quote struck a chord with me because it rings so true. As a pastor I constantly need believer's, first and foremost, in Christ; second, in the vision of our church and third, in me as their pastor. I can provide help to anybody, but I can only pastor those who believe in those three.

"Many hands make light work. Gifted hands make successful work. Complimentary hands make teams work."
There is just no way to do anything significant without the help of a team; a true teammate is willing to compliment other team mates by sharing the credit for victories and losses.

We have some super teams at TRC. I have learned over the years that our teams will never go beyond the caliber of the leader who oversees them. Weekly I challenge our leaders to constantly grow themselves by pushing the envelope of limitation, staying focused through perspective and following hard after GOD, with such priorities leaders emerge.